


Please Remember Next Time

by hmweasley



Category: Shadowhunters (TV)
Genre: Established Magnus Bane/Alec Lightwood, Hurt/Comfort, Injury, M/M, Malec Secret Santa 2020
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-07
Updated: 2020-12-07
Packaged: 2021-03-10 01:14:28
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 972
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27936101
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/hmweasley/pseuds/hmweasley
Summary: Alec comes back to the loft injured.
Relationships: Magnus Bane/Alec Lightwood
Comments: 12
Kudos: 52
Collections: The Malec Secret Santa - Edition 2020





	Please Remember Next Time

**Author's Note:**

  * For [sugarandspace](https://archiveofourown.org/users/sugarandspace/gifts).



Alec walked into the flat and slid his sheath of arrows off his shoulder, wincing when he tried to grip the strap with his bruised hand. He sensed Magnus appearing at the same moment and struggled to control his facial features despite knowing he’d been caught. Magnus came closer but didn’t speak as Alec stored his weapon away.

When he finally looked at his boyfriend, it was with a genuine smile. The pain in his hand was already forgotten just by seeing Magnus. Really, the bruise wasn’t much of anything. In Alec’s mind, it couldn’t compete with countless other injuries he’d sustained over the years, but Magnus couldn’t forget it as easily. He hurried forward and cupped Alec’s hand gently in both of his own, turning it over to inspect the bruise that had grown even darker than Alec had realized.

Alec let out a low hiss through his teeth. Now that Magnus was calling his attention back to it, Alec couldn’t deny that his hand hurt, but he held back any further reaction, not wanting to alarm Magnus further.

“What happened?” Magnus asked, worry lining his face and keeping his shoulders stiff.

Alec sighed. There was no use beating around the bush. Magnus would see through any attempts to brush it off, though Alec maintained that it wasn’t that big of a deal. They’d both seen him in a far worse state.

“There were some demons,” Alec began, perhaps unnecessarily considering that Magnus had known he was working. “We were fighting them, but well, in the thick of it I somehow managed to punch a wall?”

It came out as a question despite Alec knowing exactly how he’d managed to do it. He didn’t want to detail for Magnus that a demon had pissed him off so much that he’d gone for a punch instead of using his bow or that he’d missed when the demon had vanished on its own, reappearing a few feet away within seconds.

Magnus didn’t ask for those details anyway as he ran his finger over the bruise with a feather-light touch. It was a simple bruise, easy enough to heal. Magnus’ brow knitted together in confusion as he looked up from the bruise into Alec’s eyes.

“Why didn’t you use an iratze?”

Alec shrugged. There was no good answer.

“There was a lot going on, and it wasn’t that major. By the time the fight was over, I’d forgotten the bruise was even there. All I wanted to do was come home, so I came, and now here I am. It doesn’t hurt that much. Just a little ache whenever I flex my hand or touch something. Other than that, I forget it’s there.”

Magnus let out a gust of air, his expression a combination of worry, exasperation, and amazement that Alec didn’t know what to do with. Jace hadn’t even noticed the bruise and had likely assumed that, if Alec was hurt, he could take care of himself, which was true enough. Izzy had commented that he needed to heal it but also hadn’t put up a fuss when Alec had said he was going to Magnus’ loft with the bruise still on his hand.

He wasn’t used to anyone making such a big deal out of something as minor as a bruise. Shadowhunters were always covered in them, and it wasn’t that unusual to not bother with an iratze. At least, that’s what Alec believed.

With a slight roll of his eyes, Magnus waved his hand above Alec’s, blue sparks traveling between them. The bruise disappeared as quickly as it would have with an iratze. Alec pulled his hand from Magnus’ to give it an experimental flex, and sure enough, it felt like he’d never been bruised at all. He smiled at Magnus before pressing a quick kiss to his lips. Magnus leaned into the touch eagerly, one of his hands clutching onto the edge of Alec’s hunting gear jacket.

Alec tried to deepen the kiss, but Magnus pulled away, smiling at Alec’s pout. One of his hand’s found Alec’s formerly bruised one again, running his thumb over the knuckles.

At some point, without Alec realizing it was happening, he had become very good at reading Magnus’ facial expressions. He wouldn’t have thought it possible when they’d first met; Magnus had seemed like a locked box that Alec hadn’t had the key to back then. But somehow he had learned what he could from the outside of the box until it decided to open itself for him.

He knew what Magnus was thinking even though the warlock hadn’t said it out loud.

“I really am getting better about it,” Alec said. “Nine times out of ten, I use an iratze. This time I just forgot. I’m sorry.”

Magnus shook his head, giving Alec a small smile as his free hand came up to cup Alec’s cheek.

“You don’t need to apologize to me, Alexander. I’m only worried about you. Maybe it was just a bruise, but it was causing you pain. Please try to remember to heal yourself next time.”

Alec nodded, nuzzling into Magnus’ touch. It really was easier to remember that these days. Largely because Magnus’ sad face would loom in his mind’s eye whenever Alec was injured and hadn’t bothered with an iratze. His desire to avoid seeing that expression was usually enough, but that night, he had been too occupied with other thoughts to think of it before Magnus had seen him.

He took a step closer and laid his head on Magnus’ shoulder, allowing his eyes to flutter shut. Magnus’ arms wrapped around him, and Alec followed suit, taking in a deep breath and smiling at Magnus’ scent as it engulfed him.

In that moment, it was hard to believe he’d ever been in any pain at all.


End file.
